1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices used in cameras. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices used to control drive characteristics of such display devices. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a display device adapted for mounting in a camera that is capable of displaying at least one photographic mode and date and time information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cameras which transcribe date and time information onto a film surface and which are provided with so-called xe2x80x9cdate imprintxe2x80x9d technology are well known. Typically, such cameras are equipped with a plurality of imprinting modes such as xe2x80x9cyear-month-dayxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdate-hour-minutesxe2x80x9d modes.
Accordingly, in order for a camera user to select an imprint mode, it is indispensable to have a mode indicator unit and a calendar function display unit for displaying the date and time which will be imprinted during operation of a date imprint function.
In addition to date imprinting features, cameras are often provided with a plurality of photographic modes such as a self-timer mode and a strobe light emission inhibition and compulsory light emission mode. Cameras so equipped are also well known. Typically, these cameras are provided with a selection unit which allows a camera user to select among various camera operation modes which may be displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) device.
Cameras, which are equipped with technology related to selecting and displaying date imprint and operation mode selections, often realize the following problems.
First, in order to display the calendar function related to date imprinting and the plurality of photographic modes on a single LCD display, a relatively large space is required for the LCD display. As such, mounting such a multi-function LCD display on a camera body is often difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.
As a result of the aforementioned space problem, the LCD display is usually disposed on a rear side of a camera which has a relatively wide space. However, mounting the LCD display on the back of a camera body results in further problems associated with camera body design and operation.
Second, the required sizes of such multi-function LCD displays often dictate increased implementation costs.
Finally, segmented LCD displays are often used for providing a calendar function display. As such, electronic connection between the segments of a segmented LCD display and related circuitry must be provided inside a camera. In the case of the calendar function display, the number of segments used is large compared to a normal display, thus necessitating a complex wiring and connection arrangement, especially when such an LCD display is disposed on a moving back member of a camera body. Accordingly, the number of wiring patterns which are connected to these segments must be made large. If wiring patterns in the LCD display exist in large number and are made to extend lengthwise, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of other display components is often lost.
Turning now to the drive characteristics of camera display devices, the related art is summarized as follows. According to differences in the design of the display part of the camera, different liquid crystal control drive devices have been designed and produced. Consequently, even with the same type of camera, it has been necessary to prepare different control drive devices according to whether the camera model has a date display or not. This contributes to poor productivity and increased design and implementation costs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-enumerated problems associated with providing information display devices in cameras.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display device in which the connector which electronically connects the display device to necessary support circuitry does not exercise any influence on the freedom of arrangement and/or placement of such necessary support circuitry.
It is an object of the present invention to attach identical control drive devices to different types of liquid crystal displays in such a way that the respective liquid crystal displays operate appropriately.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a display device which can be configured to display calendar (e.g., date) information and/or other photographic information.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a display device for displaying photographic information in accordance with operational criteria stored in a non-volatile memory.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a display device adapted for use with a camera equipped with circuitry for monitoring and controlling camera operation. The display device includes a display unit having a first display part which shows a photographic mode indication, a second display part which shows calendar information (e.g., date and time information), and a connector designed to electronically connect the display device to the circuitry. The connector is mounted in the camera in parallel relation to the first display part and to the second display part. The second display part is mounted near the connector and in closer proximity to the connector than the first display part.
Finally, the above-listed objects are achieved by the present invention in that a control device for controlling the drive characteristics of a display device adapted for use in a camera is provided. The control device includes a plurality of main contacts which are connected to one of a first display device which comprises a respectively associated plurality of contacts and which displays date information and a second display device which comprises a respectively associated plurality of contacts and which displays photographic information other than date information. Additionally, the control device includes a drive unit which causes date information to be displayed on the first display device when the plurality of main contacts are connected to the respectively associated plurality of contacts of the first display device, and which causes photographic information other than date information to be displayed on the second display device when the plurality of main contacts are connected to the respectively associated plurality of contacts of the second display device.